Planoocaph co



J. H. BOYEi CURTAIN ROD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY10.I9II.

Patented July 8-, 1919.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. BOYIE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 'ASSIGNOR TO JAMES H. BOY E MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CURTAIN ROD. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application filed May 10, 1.917. Serial No. 167,626.

To all who no it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. BOYE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtainltods, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in curtain rods, and has reference more particularly to what are commonly known as flat rods. These are usually made of a strip of sheet metal having its upper and lower edges folded over on the rear side for stiffening purposes and also, in the case of extensible rods made in two telescoping sections, to effect the mutual support of the sections, the smaller of which slidingly engages within the larger.

One object of my present invention is to provide a curtain rod of the flat variety which shall be simple to manufacture and light in weight, and yet shall possess a superior degree of strength and rigidity as compared with curtain rods of the same type now on the market. Another object of the invention, which relates to fiat rods of the extensible telescoping variety, is to provide a new and improved stiffening means between the telescoping sections of the curtain-rod permitting the latter to be drawn apart nearly to the point of separation while eliminating sagging in a vertical plane or undue bowing or bending in a horizontal plane.

Other objects and advantages secured by the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description, wherein I have illustrated and described practical and preferred embodiments of the distinctive features of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing- Figure 1 is a front elevation of an extensible curtain rod, shown as applied to the top of a window casing.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the central portion of the rod shown in Fig. l, with the larger section'of the rod shown in-vertical longitudinal section to show the stiffening device,-

F ig. 3 is a view similarto Fig. 2, but showing the two sections drawn apart to illustrate the transversely elastic character of the stiflening device.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line -lf of Fig. 3, on a still further enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawing, 5 and 6 designate the two telescoping sections of the curtain rod or bar, the outer ends of which are detachably supported in any by end brackets 7 secured to the window casing S. The rod sections 5 and'6 are substantially flat metal strips having their longitudinal marginal portions folded inwardly on the rear side of the bar; and it will be observed that these folded marginal portions are each of substantially half the full width of the bar so that their free edges meet in a longitudinal median line 9. Each bar section is thus a flattened tube having a single longitudinal joint on its rear side. This construction provides an exceedingly stifi rod or bar, requiring but little more metal than a marginally flanged or beaded bar and possessing far greater strength and rigidity than the latter. Where telescoping sections of a curtain rod of the general form hereinillustrated are drawn apart to within an inch ortwo of the point of separation, there is a noticeable sag at the center, which I'have eliminated by the provision of a stiffening device, herein shown as a spring wire loop, the free ends or legs 10 of which are rigidly secured in the inner end of the smaller telescoping member 6, and the head 11 of which fits tightly in and between the upper and lower margins of the larger telescoping member 5. The sides of the head of the loop are slightly expanded beyond the edges of the bar 6, as shown at 12 in Fig. 3, so that when the bar 6 is inserted within its mating section 5 the spring loop is slightly contracted transversely and bears snugly on the inner surfaces of the rolled over margins of the member 55, the generally semi-oval form of the head of the loop permitting such transverse contraction to take place. This effectively prevents any sagging of the two sections of the curtain rod, even when the latter are drawn apart to within an'inch or two of the point of separation, and maintains the true .endwise alinement of the sections as shown in Fig. 1. This stiffener device not only prevents sagging in a vertical plane, but it also stiflens the rod in a horizontal plane, pjre venting. it from bowing outwardly or in wardly relatively to the window casing, by reason of the fact that the head of the loop bears against the inner side walls of the member 5 as well as against its top and botdown the folded over marginal portions on said legs in the manner indicated at 13 in Fig. 4.

It is believed that the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, will make clear to those skilled in this art the novel structural features and the me chanical advantages and merits of my invention. Without, therefore, limiting the invention .to the precise details shown and described,

I claim:

1. A hollow curtain rod made from a strip of sheet metal and having a fiat front side, said strip having its longitudinal marginal portions folded over with their free edges contiguous throughout the length of the rod, and said folded marginal portions together forming a flat rear side lying substantially parallel with said fiat front side.

2. A. hollow curtain rod made from astrip of sheet metal, and having a flat front side, said strip having its longitudinal marginal portions folded over with their free edges meeting in a joint substantially midway between the upper and lower edges of said rod, and said folded marginal portions together forming a flat rear side lying substantially parallel with said flat front side.

3. In an extensible curtain rod, the combination with a pair of substantially 'flat hollow rod sections, one of .a size to telescope within the other, of a transversely elastic wire loop member rigidly secured in and projecting from one end of the inner telescoping section and engaging under compression within the adjacent end of the outer telescoping section.

4. In an extensible curtain rod, the combination with a' pair of substantially flat hollow rod sections, one of .a size to telescope within the other, of a Wire loop member having legs rigidly secured in one end of the inner telescoping section and a transversely elastic head portion pro ecting beyond said end and engagin under compression withm the adjacent enc of the outer telescoping JAMES H. BOYE.

Copies otithis'patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

